Clasp for file-bands.



No. 683,4I4. Patented Sept. 24, 190!. E. L. SIBLEY.

CLASP FOR FILE BANDS.

(Appliution filed Sept. 25. 1900.)

(No Il udel.)

)4 !turney WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

EDXVARD L. SIBLEY, OF BENNINGTON, VERMONT.

CLASP FOR FILE-BANDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,414, dated September 24, i901.

Application filed September 25.1900. Serial No. 31,028. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it ll/(Ly concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bennington, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for File- Bands; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to ,a

make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clasps for file-bands, and has for its object to provide a clasp which is capable of securely holding a band in place after being drawn tightly around a packet or bundle of papers or other objects and which may be quickly and easily released When desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Two forms of embodiment of the invention are shown in the accompanyin g drawings, in which- 4 Figure 1 isa perspective view of my improved clasp in position on a bundle of papers to secure them together. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the clasp with the front parts thereof separated for releasing the tension on the band to which the clasp is attached. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the clasp with the front parts thereof slightly separated in the first act of releasing the band, and Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing the clasp and band united by a hook and with a slightly-modified form of lifter.

Like figures of reference refer to corre-' sponding parts in each figure of the drawings. 1 may represent a packet of papers, bills, envelops, or any other objects desired to be held together to form a bundle with a band 2 around them to be drawn tightly and its ends securely fastened by my improved clasp 3.

The clasp is formed mainly of two frames movably connected at one end and adapted to fold one upon the other. In the form shown in the dra'wings the frames are of wire, and the lower frame is formed with two sides 4: and a front end 5, the rear end of each side having formed in it an eye 6 by bending the end back upon itself, as shownin Fig. 4 of the drawings, for the reception of the rear end of the upper frame. The upper frame corresponds in size and general shape to the lower frame, except that it has a rear end 7, which passes through eyes 6 on the lower frame, forming a hinge allowing the front ends of the frames to be moved into contact with or away from each other. The forward ends of the sides 8 of the upper frame are formed with eyes 9, in whicha bar or wire lO is loosely inserted. The ends ll of the bar 10 are bent upward at an angle to the bar and toward each other to form a lifter 12 for a finger-hold for convenience in raising the front end of the upper frame. The bar 10 being loosely hinged in the eyes 9, it is adapted to be turned to allow the lifter 12 to lie flat on the top ot' the upper frame or to be raised for lifting the front end of the 'frame when it is desired to release the tension of the bands under the lower frame in removing the band from the packet or bundle. The lifter may be made in any desired form, several of which are shown in the drawings. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the ends 11 of the bar 10 terminate in a loop-like lifter `12, and, as shown in Fig. 4, the ends 11 of the bar 10 are bent together at an acute angle with the bar,forming a lifter 15 triangular in shape.

In attaching the clasp to the band one end of the band may be securely connected to the rear end 7 of the upper frame by any suitable means, as by a metal loop 13, clamped down upon the band after looping the same around the rear end 7, or a metal hook 16 may be attached to the band, as shown in Fig. 4, adapted to be hooked around the rear end 7 of the frame after the band has been passed around the packet or bundle. The

other end of the band is adapted to work IOO der the front end 5 of the frame. By drawing the free end of the band tightly through the clasp to take up the slack the ends of the frames are drawn together and pressed upon the double thickness of the band beneath the lower frame, which tend to move in an opposite direction and hold the meeting parts of the band together in frictional contact. A tendency of the band to loosen is prevented by the fact that the Contacting parts of the band beneath the bar 5 are drawn in opposite directions, and this frictional contact maintained between the parts of the band when the frames are pressed upon them bind them to the packet.

In releasing the band from the packet the finger-hold is grasped and turned up, and a slight strain upward is made, releasing the pressure on the upper portion of the band beneath the front end of the lower frame, allowing the free end of the band to slip over the front of the upper frame, and thus loosen the band.

I am aware that clasps for a purpose similar to mine have been formed of a single piece of wire bent into rectangular frames, one resting upon the other; but those have been found objectionable, because in separating the frames in introducing the band the wire is twisted and the frames rendered useless on account of distorting or breaking, whereas bymaking the two frames separately and counecting them as in my present invention they may be separated to allow introduction of tape and moved together at will without in- J & aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A packetband clasp having upper and lower frames, the frames being hinged together at their rear ends, and the upper frame having a lifter hinged thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A clasp comprising an upper and a lower rectangular frame, the rear end of the lower frame being formed by the hinged bar of the upper frame, and the front of the upper frame by the hinged bar of the lifter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a clasp comprisingtwo superposed rectangularframes hinged together at their rear ends, and a lifter-bar hinged to the front end of the upper frame, of a packet-band one terminal portion of which is secured to the rear end of the frames and the other terminal portion formed with a loop through Which the lifter-bar eXtends, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. SIBLEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN V. CARNEY, HARRY T. CUSHMAN. 

